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The hidden pregnancy milestones

As a first-time mum I was pretty clueless about pregnancy. I hadn’t been trying to get pregnant so actually being pregnant was the last thing on my mind.

As a woman, I knew the basics though! I knew I’d gain weight, I knew I’d get a bump, I knew there would be a 12-week scan, I knew we could possibly find out the gender at 20 weeks should we choose to and I knew I had to give birth.

But as my first pregnancy progressed I came across all these milestones I knew nothing about and actually, they were really quite important stages of developing a healthy pregnancy.

For example, when you find out you’re pregnant around 2 weeks after conception it’s not a fetus or a ‘baby’ as you might imagine it. It is medically referred to as an ’embryo’ and will continue to be so until around the eighth week post conception.

It can be a little alarming, should the worst happen and you miscarry, when medical professionals refer to your precious baby is an embryo. To you it was much more than a bunch of cells. It was a warm, squishy newborn, a new member of your family and someone to love.

Similarly, if you lose a baby between 14 and 24 weeks it is considered a ‘late miscarriage’. It was recently covered on Coronation Street and we’ve also had close friends go through this awful experience. It highlights how heartbreaking losing a baby at this late stage can be. The family portrayed were not even offered a birth certificate, it was as though the baby wasn’t even acknowledged as a human despite being around 1.5lbs in weight at almost 24 weeks.

Even losing a baby a matter of days later would have changed everything and the hospital would have done all they could to save that baby’s life. I know a line has to be drawn somewhere but it does seem quite harrowing for those that experience late miscarriage. As a first time mum finding this out can be quite a worry.

Unless you work within maternity care you just wouldn’t know these stages and milestones existed.

I always feel such a sense of relief when I reach 24 weeks gestation. Although it would be far from ideal to go into labour in your second trimester at least you get a chance. There’s hope that you’ll get the baby you’ve been dreaming of for the last six months.

A lot of focus is placed on the ‘fun’ aspects of pregnancy, such as gender reveal or guessing names, and for good reason. It’s not nice to dwell on the what if’s or things out of our control, but I was surprised how medically precarious pregnancy can be. It’s not until you’re pregnant for the first time and going for scans you suddenly realise how precious your cargo really is and how grateful you are for every week which passes. Knowing what I know now, after almost four pregnancies, has made me a much more nervous and careful pregnant person. Every day I say a little prayer for the tiny person I can feel swimming around inside me.

Finding out you're expecting is an exciting time, but first time parents should be aware of the more serious milestones associated with their developing baby.

Your baby, as you know it, isn't in fact classed as a baby or fetus until around the eighth week following conception. This can be hard to hear for people who lose their pregnancies early on.

Most expectant parents are excited to reach the 12-week mark for their first scan, in many cases. However, reaching 12 weeks also signifies a dramatic decrease in the chances of miscarriage.

At around 12 weeks gestation you will be offered blood tests and a scan to help detect chromosomal abnormalities such as Edwards' Syndrome and Down's Syndrome.

Finding out the gender at your 20-week scan is what many parents look forward to, but the sonographer is actually looking for anomalies with your baby and the location of your placenta.

Your baby will not be considered viable until you reach 24 weeks pregnant. This may mean that should you go into labour prior to this your medical team will not try and resuscitate your baby.

Babies are considered full term when you reach 37 weeks. When you realise all the things that could have happened during your pregnancy you suddenly realise how precious your little bundle actually is and appreciate your subsequent pregnancies even more.

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